And suddenly she realized just how hungry she actually was. Everything from the morning had happened so fast that she hadn’t eaten anything all day.

Her stomach painfully reminded her now. The officer handed one container toward her.

For a second, she hesitated. Then slowly accepted it. The room became quiet again except for the soft sound of plastic spoons against noodles. It almost felt strangely normal. Two exhausted people are eating dinner during a late shift.

If not for the handcuffs resting on the table nearby. Amira ate slowly at first. Then faster. The warmth of the food settled slightly into the emptiness in her chest.

The officer watched her quietly the entire time without speaking much.

When they finally finished, he calmly collected the empty containers and disposable spoons. Amira wiped her hands tiredly, completely unaware of the way his expression subtly changed.

Professional now. Cold again. The officer stepped outside the room. Another detective immediately approached him. Without a word, the officer handed over the spoon Amira had used.

"Run a DNA comparison," he said quietly. The detective nodded once. "With the sample from the crime scene?"

The officer looked back briefly through the small glass window of the interrogation room where Amira sat alone, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Yes." His voice lowered slightly. "Let’s see if she matches what we found."

–

Julian barely had time to breathe. Everything was happening at once.

One minute, he was sitting beside Amara’s hospital bed watching over her while she slept, and the next, he was handling family disasters, security threats, company responsibilities, and police investigations all from the same chair.

His phone buzzed nonstop. Messages. Calls. Updates from security. Questions from the company board. Reporters are already trying to confirm rumors about Amara collapsing.

Julian ignored almost all of it. The only message he responded to was the one he sent Leo. Your wife has been arrested. Get yourself and a good lawyer to the station immediately.

Short. Cold. No sympathy attached. A few seconds later, his phone rang again. Mother. Julian rubbed his tired eyes before answering. "Where are you right now, Julian?"

Madam Vale’s voice carried its usual authority, calm but commanding enough to make entire boardrooms nervous.

"Tomorrow you officially take over the company," she continued sharply. "You should be home preparing. Where is Amara? Why are neither of you back yet?"

Julian glanced toward Amara, sleeping quietly on the hospital bed. His expression softened instantly. "Mother... Amara is resting right now. We had some complications."

The line went silent for one second. Then Madam Vale’s tone changed immediately. "How is she?" she asked quickly. "How are the babies?" The concern in her voice was real.

"Which hospital are you in?" she continued. "I’m coming there now."

"No need," Julian said immediately. "Once Amara wakes up, we’ll either go home or transfer her somewhere else."

"But why isn’t she at Vale Memorial?" Madam Vale asked sharply. "She would receive far better care there." Julian leaned back heavily in the chair. How exactly was he supposed to explain this disaster?

"It’s... long and complicated," he admitted tiredly. He lowered his voice slightly. "I can’t leave the hospital right now." Madam Vale immediately sensed the seriousness in his tone. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"What happened?" Julian closed his eyes briefly before speaking. "Seb is here." Silence.

"And..." he continued slowly, still struggling to process it himself, "Amara’s adopted daughter, the child we thought died three years ago, is alive."

Even Madam Vale went silent after that. Julian laughed weakly under his breath, exhausted beyond reason. "And Amira has been arrested." Another silence followed.

"I honestly don’t know what to do right now," Julian admitted quietly. That alone showed how overwhelmed he truly was. Julian rarely admitted uncertainty. Ever. But today had pushed him beyond his limits.

"I need to go, Mother," he said softly after a moment. "Please handle things with the family for now." His eyes moved back to Amara again. "My wife needs me." Then more firmly..

"And you know she will always come first." Madam Vale stayed quiet for a long second. When she finally spoke again, her voice had softened slightly.

"Amara is a strong girl," she said calmly. "She will pull through." Julian exhaled slowly. "And forget about her evil sister," Madam Vale added coldly. "Let her face the consequences of her actions."

There was no sympathy in her tone when it came to Amira. None at all. "Like you said," she continued, "Amara is your responsibility. The rest do not matter." Julian knew his mother meant every word.

"Leave the family to me now," Madam Vale said firmly. "As for Seb and Amira..." Her voice became colder. "I will deal with them."

"Mother... what are you planning?" Julian’s voice lowered slightly as he asked the question. Because he knew his mother.

And whenever Madam Vale spoke that calmly about "handling" people, someone usually suffered afterward. Julian had spent years trying not to become the kind of man who hid behind family power and influence. He could handle his own battles. His own enemies.

Even Seb. Even this mess. He didn’t want his mother to go to war for him. But Madam Vale sounded completely unconcerned.

"Concentrate on your wife," she said simply. "And let me know when you’re ready to move her from that hospital."

There was finality in her tone. The kind that warned him not to push further. Then the call ended. Julian stared at the phone for a few seconds after the line went dead.

A small crease formed between his brows. For the first time all night, concern flickered through his expression again. Not about Amara this time.

About whatever his mother was planning. Because Madam Vale never made empty promises. And she never forgot people she considered threats to her family.

Slowly, Julian slipped the phone back into his pocket and turned toward the hospital bed again.

The moment his eyes landed on Amara, every other thought faded. Just like that.